Thanks to the Internet-driven high tide of vintage and designer clothing, pieces from luxury fashion brands are now being passed down to another generation (and in amazing condition) regardless of family ties. Vintage shopping — once a niche, novel way to upgrade one's wardrobe — is now the norm, especially for Gen Z. Resale is now officially part of the mainstream style game. It's gotten to the point where even brand new luxury items purchased today are bought with potential resale value in mind. TikTok is full of videos advising which luxury items and brands maintain value over time — and there's no wonder why.
On January 13, retailer The RealReal released its 2022 Luxury Consignment Report, which, as its name suggests, examines trends and stats on luxury consignment and we can confirm: the facts definitely reflect that rise in vintage resale. “Resale has undeniably gone mainstream, and the luxury sector has one distinction that sets it apart: every demographic actively participates in luxury resale," Rati Sahi Levesque, President of The RealReal, says in the report. “From Gen Z to the Silent Generation, every demo increased its adoption of secondhand luxury in 2021, and nearly every brand saw rising resale value as a result.”
If you are looking into investing, shopping vintage (for sustainability or other reasons), or are simply fascinated by the ever-changing resale world, below we have highlighted some of the all-time popular luxury fashion brands and on-demand ones for Gen Z, according to The RealReal's report and in no particular order.
Gucci
With Alessandro Michele at its helm, Gucci has really been the design house of the generations, both young and old, in recent years. Since 2016, the brand has adopted celebrity muses like Harry Styles, EXO's Kai, and Billie Eilish — all complete rockstars who speak the style language of young people — while maintaining its loyal customers, too. No wonder The RealReal spotlights it as the no. 1 brand in luxury resale across all ages.
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Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton's iconic LV emblem is one of the most recognizable and copycatted signets in the world. Gen Z love it for a reason — it is so instantly recognizable and classic, but it has also taken on this ability to be edgy and new with the help of people like the late Virgil Abloh and the celebrities chosen to represent the brand, like supergroup BTS and Squid Game's breakout star Hoyeon Jung — both global ambassadors for the luxury brand.
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Prada
The 2021 Prada customer is such a unique shopper — the look is classic, straightforward, functional, and sleek. Think anyone from Frank Ocean to Anna Wintour to even Sydney Sweeney's character in Euphoria. (ICYMI: Cassie rocks white Prada pumps during the second season premiere of the HBO hit series. Yes, including that intense bathtub scene.)
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Vintage Prada
Yes, they are different things. Vintage Prada is a hot commodity. Per The RealReal, its value has increased 38% over the last year. Notably, that increase aligns with the comeback of Prada's nylon.
Jean Paul Gaultier
The '90s haven't gone anywhere. The RealReal report shows that Jean Paul Gaultier's resale value has increased 70% in the last year, making it one of Gen Z's top niche choices — which makes total sense. The mesh, printed body con garments, and rock and roll sensibilities are so present in current trends. (And yes, Zendaya rocked some vintage Jean Paul Gaultier during Euphoria's second season, too!)
Chanel
Chanel has been pretty consistently one of the biggest players in the resale game, the garments even gaining value over time. Chanel's celebrities have been women like Kristen Stewart and Kaia Gerber.
Rag & Bone
Rag & Bone is one of Gen Z's and millennials' favorite contemporary brand to resell. It's known for beautiful, well-made classics and wardrobe staples.
Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood's influence on modern fashion is so very palpable. Between the printed corsets as seen on faves like Bella Hadid to the highly coveted spaceship emblem charm necklaces to the fact that every K-pop girl is rocking these days, it makes complete sense that the brand's resale value has risen 26% this year.
Tory Burch
Tory Burch is one of the top brands sold by shoppers of every generation. Tory Burch was one of the biggest contemporary brands in women's fashion toward the end of the decade in the '00s.
Thierry Mugler
The RealReal reported that iconic designer Thierry Mugler saw a 70% gain in resale value this year. Vintage Thierry Mugler has been worn on recent red carpets by celebs like Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, and Cardi B.
Missoni
If you're That Girl, you might know about Missoni. The Italian luxury house increased in resale value by 20% this year, especially for its knitwear.
Honorable Mentions: Sneakers
Yes, sneakers are very much luxury items now — at least when it comes to resale value. Resell sneaker culture is infamous, so, of course, they were bound to make The RealReal's report. The retailer highlights that sneaker collaborations, especially those by New Balance and Nike's Jordan, are highly coveted this year. The Dior x Jordan 1 still reigns supreme, with some reselling for as high as $13,000. (That hurt to type, not going to lie!)
The report also notes that New Balance collabs sell for up to 387% of their retail price, illustrated with an image of the sought-after 550s. (Pro Tip: New Balance is constantly restocking the non-collab versions of this silhouette so keep an eye out if you want to avoid these intense resale mark-ups!)
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